Editorial: Three Years in (British) GeographyAuthor(s): Linda McDowellSource: Area, Vol. 21, No. 4 (Dec., 1989), p. 345Published by: The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20000058 .

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Area (1989) 21.4, 345

Editorial-Three years in (British) geography

This is the last issue of the twelve for which I have been particularly responsible and in common with earlier editors I have found that it is a time for reflection. The emphasis of Area over the last three years has remained predominantly British and most sub missions, both of articles and in the comments and observations sections, have been from human geographers. There has, however, been a number of noticeable and lively contributions from scholars working outside Britain, and, of course, articles by British scholars in other parts of the increasingly inter-dependent world. Area aims to be as topical as editorial and printing deadlines permit and the issues covered over the last three years reflect creditably on this aim-the new curriculum for geography in schools, departmental ranking in universities, trends in house prices, multinational investment patterns, the geography of AIDs, international migration, the heritage industry, women's changing roles and the impact on gender relations: all these topics, and others, have been raised in recent issues.

Editing Area is an enjoyable and time consuming task and my obligations to others for help, advice and assistance as I have struggled with manuscripts and layout, often late at night, have grown since late 1986 when I drove to Lancaster to take over the office system from Robin Flowerdew. I could not have coped without the superb work of two editorial assistants-Jennifer Maskell, who helped me through the first year and a quarter and Pamela Cawthorne, who stuck it out to the end. As co-workers, women and mothers, we have brought out 12 issues in the midst of dealing with other work, domestic obligations and between us six children-so thanks, and thanks to those children also for not interfering-too much or too often! I should also like to thank my colleagues in the IBG, especially Alison Hind, David Pindar and Gareth Shaw, finance officers during my editorship and Peter Dicken, the current secretary. Henry Ling Ltd. have done a sterling job printing the journal, thanks in particular to Peter Washington. Thanks are also due to all those people who refereed unsolicited manuscripts, especially colleagues in my own department who often protested at the time scale, but usually provided me with helpful responses. Finally, no journal could remain as lively and topical as Area without the constant flow of articles, comments, reports and grant information that has filled the pages of the last twelve issues. So, to the contributors, thank you. I hope reading Area over the last three years has been as enjoyable as editing it.

Linda McDowell Open University

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